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Fired fire captain misses appeal deadline

By Times Staff
Published March 22, 2005

TAMPA - Former Tampa Fire Rescue Capt. Al Suarez, fired last month for his role in a firehouse photo shoot featuring two strippers, missed the deadline for an appeal to get his job back.

Suarez had until Friday to file the paperwork, which would have gotten him an appearance before the city's director of human resources, Sarah Lang.

But Suarez didn't file the papers by Friday's deadline, Fire Rescue spokesman Capt. Bill Wade said. Neither did Suarez's attorney, Bob McKee.

McKee and Suarez did not return phone calls Monday. As far as Fire Rescue administrators are concerned, Wade said, Suarez "apparently is dropping the fight."

Suarez, a 20-year veteran of the department, was seeking reinstatement to his nearly $80,000-a-year job. And he wanted back pay.

In February, a six-week investigation into the Oct. 17 photo shoot at Fire Station 21 in New Tampa concluded that Suarez, 44, organized the shoot with the two strippers. Both strippers performed at his bachelor party weeks later.

Four other firefighters at the fire station that day - Steve Johnson, Michael Berwald, Michael Layton and Michael Campbell - were suspended.

They initially denied knowledge of the shoot but later came clean, saying that Suarez called them frequently after the incident and told them to lie to investigators. McKee has called their stories "a concerted effort" to "throw" Suarez "under the bus."

After he was fired, Suarez filed a grievance to get his job back, but it was denied. The deadline to appeal that denial was Friday.

[Last modified March 22, 2005, 01:20:07]